U.S. patent number 4,604,899 [Application Number 06/597,753] was granted by the patent office on 1986-08-12 for semiconductor-type pressure transducer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hitachi, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Kazuo Kato, Kanji Kawakami, Takao Sasayama, Hideo Sato, Kazuji Yamada.
United States Patent |
4,604,899 |
Yamada , et al. |
August 12, 1986 |
Semiconductor-type pressure transducer
Abstract
A semiconductor-type pressure transducer is disclosed in which
the pressure change is detected as a resistance change by use of a
bridge circuit including at least a gauge resistor changing with an
external force. Each gauge resistor is made of a PN junction of a
semiconductor. The pressure transducer further comprises an
amplification factor compensator for cancelling the effect of the
temperature change of the gauge resistors making up the bridge
circuit on the amplification factor of the amplification circuit
for amplifying the output of the bridge circuit.
Inventors: |
Yamada; Kazuji (Hitachi,
JP), Sato; Hideo (Hitachi, JP), Kawakami;
Kanji (Mito, JP), Kato; Kazuo (Ibaraki,
JP), Sasayama; Takao (Hitachi, JP) |
Assignee: |
Hitachi, Ltd. (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
13109581 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/597,753 |
Filed: |
April 6, 1984 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 6, 1983 [JP] |
|
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58-59307 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
73/708;
338/4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01L
9/065 (20130101); G01L 1/2281 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01L
1/22 (20060101); G01L 9/06 (20060101); G01L
1/20 (20060101); G01L 009/04 (); G01L 019/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;73/708,720,721,726,727,DIG.4,766,765 ;338/4 ;324/65R
;323/365,367 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Woodiel; Donald O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Antonelli, Terry & Wands
Claims
We claim:
1. A semiconductor-type pressure transducer comprising a bridge
circuit including a plurality of gauge resistors at least one of
which has a resistance which varies with an external force, an
amplification circuit connected to an output of said bridge circuit
for amplifying the output of said bridge circuit, and a drive power
circuit connected to a power source terminal of said bridge circuit
and connected between first and second potential voltage levels for
supplying a drive voltage to said bridge circuit, wherein said
drive power circuit includes a resistor coupled in series between
said first and second potential voltage levels and having the same
temperature characteristic as that of the gauge resistors for
correcting said drive voltage correspondingly to temperature
variation of the gauge resistors so as to cancel the effect of the
temperature change of the gauge resistors of the bridge circuit on
the amplification factor of the amplification circuit.
2. A semiconductor-type pressure transducer according to claim 1,
wherein said amplification circuit is an operational amplifier
including input and feedback resistors and its amplification factor
is a function of the ratio of the input to feedback resistance.
3. A semiconductor-type pressure transducer comprising a bridge
circuit including a plurality of gauge resistors at least one of
which has a resistance changing with an external force, an
amplification circuit for amplifying the output of said bridge
circuit, a drive power circuit for supplying a drive voltage to
said bridge circuit, and amplification compensation means for
cancelling the effect of the temperature change of the gauge
resistors of the bridge circuit on the amplification factor of the
amplification circuit, wherein said drive power circuit includes a
current source for producing an output current proportional to the
temperature, and a resistor connected to said current source to
pass the output current of said current source, the voltage drop
across said resistor being used as a drive power source for the
bridge, said resistor having the same temperature characteristics
as that of said gauge resistors.
4. A semiconductor-type pressure transducer, comprising a bridge
circuit including a plurality of gauge resistors at least one of
which has a resistance which varies with an external force, an
amplification circuit connected to an output of said bridge circuit
for amplifying the output of said bridge circuit, and a drive power
circuit connected to a power source terminal of said bridge circuit
connected to a power source terminal of said bridge circuit for
supplying a drive voltage to said bridge circuit, wherein said
drive power circuit includes means for correcting said drive
voltage correspondingly to temperature variation of the gauge
resistors so as to cancel the effect of the temperature change of
the gauge resistors of the bridge circuit on the amplification
factor of the amplification circuit, wherein said drive power
circuit includes a current source for producing an output current
proportional to the temperature and said drive voltage correcting
means comprises a resistor connected to said drive power circuit to
pass therethrough the output current of said current source and
having a temperature-resistance characteristic substantially the
same as that of the gauge resistors, the voltage drop across said
resistor being used as a drive power source for producing the drive
voltage to be supplied to said bridge circuit.
5. A semiconductor-type pressure transducer comprising a bridge
circuit including a plurality of gauge resistors at least one of
which has a resistance variable with an external force, an
amplification circuit connected to an output of said bridge circuit
for amplifying the output of said bridge circuit, a drive power
circuit connected to a power source terminal of said bridge circuit
for supplying a drive voltage to said bridge circuit, and resistor
means connected between the output of said bridge circuit and said
amplification circuit and having the same temperature
characteristic as that of the gauge resistors so as to cancel the
effect of the temperature variation of the gauge resistors on the
amplification factor of the amplification circuit.
6. A semiconductor-type pressure transducer according to claim 5,
wherein said amplification circuit is an operational amplifier
including input and feedback resistors and its amplification factor
is a function of the ratio of the input to feedback resistance.
Description
The present invention relates to a semiconductor-type pressure
transducer, and more in particular to a semiconductor-type pressure
transducer comprising means for compensating for changes in sensor
sensitivity with temperature variation.
A semiconductor-type pressure transducer having compensation for
changes in sensitivity with temperature variation of the pressure
transducer is known, as disclosed, for example, in the Monolithic
Pressure Transducers Catalog issued by National Semiconductor in
1979, in which a thin diaphragm section is formed at the central
part of a silicon single crystal plate, four gauge resistors are
formed by impurity diffusion on the surface of the diaphragm and
connected to make up a bridge circuit, and a
temperature-compensating transistor circuit is integrally formed on
the surface of the diaphragm or the surrounding thick portion of
the silicon single crystal plate and connected in series between
the bridge circuit and a power supply.
This circuit is capable of reducing the sensitivity changes due to
temperature variation of the bridge circuit. However, the
transducer is generally used in combination with an amplifier for
amplifying the output of the bridge circuit and the amplification
factor of the amplifier also changes with temperature variation. As
a result, an accurate output is unobtainable solely by a
temperature compensation circuit arranged for compensating for the
sensitivity change of the bridge circuit alone.
The object of the present invention is to provide a
semiconductor-type pressure transducer which is capable of reducing
the change of the amplification factor of the amplifier for
amplifying the output of a bridge circuit of the transducer due to
temperature variation thereof.
According to the present invention, a semiconductor-type pressure
transducer is provided with amplification factor compensation means
for cancelling the effects of the temperature changes of gauge
resistors making up a bridge circuit have on the amplification
factor of an amplifier for amplifying the output of the bridge
circuit.
The objects, features and advantageous effects of the invention
will be well understood from the following description of the
embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the characteristic for explaining the
present invention;
FIG. 3 shows a material circuit arrangement of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 shows an output characteristic of the circuit of FIG. 3;
and
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present
invention.
An embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings will
be described in detail.
Reference characters G.sub.1 to G.sub.5 designate gauge resistors
made by impurity diffusion in the surface of a silicon diaphragm.
Of these gauge resistors, the gage resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4
make up a Wheatstone bridge connected in such a manner that the
gauge resistors G.sub.1 and G.sub.2 are connected to the sides of
the bridge circuit, respectively, diagonal to the sides to which
the gauge resistors G.sub.3 and G.sub.4 are connected,
respectively.
A drive power circuit connected to the power terminal P of the
bridge includes a current source I.sub.b for supplying a current
controlled to change in proportion to the temperature of the
bridge, a resistor R.sub.11 in series with the current source
I.sub.b, a gauge resistor G.sub.5, and an operational amplifier
OP.sub.3 for amplifying the voltage at the junction point a of the
current source I.sub.b and the resistor R.sub.11 to be supplied to
the power terminal P of the bridge.
The gauge resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4 are set so that the values
of G.sub.1, G.sub.2, G.sub.3 and G.sub.4 are equal to a
predetermined value G when no pressure is applied to the
diaphragm.
The output terminal Q.sub.1 of the bridge is connected through a
resistor R.sub.8 to the positive terminal of the operational
amplifier OP.sub.2, and the bridge output terminal Q.sub.2 is
connected to the negative terminal of the operational amplifier
OP.sub.2 through the resistor R.sub.7.
R.sub.9 designates a feedback resistor of the operational amplifier
OP.sub.2, and R.sub.10 a dividing resistor.
The resistors R.sub.7 to R.sub.11 are substantially insensitive to
temperature changes.
The resistance values of the resistors R.sub.7 and R.sub.9 are
equal to those of the resistors R.sub.11 and R.sub.10,
respectively.
The voltage V.sub.4 at the power terminal P of the bridge is
regulated to be equal to the voltage V.sub.3 at point a by a
voltage follower circuit made up of the operational amplifier
OP.sub.3.
When pressure is exerted on the diaphragm carrying the bridge, the
balance of the bridge is broken so that the potential difference
V.sub.1 -V.sub.2 between the output terminals Q.sub.1 and Q.sub.2
changes according to the applied pressure.
A balanced-input type amplifier circuit including the operational
amplifier OP.sub.2 and the resistors R.sub.7 to R.sub.10 is for
amplifying the output voltage V.sub.1 -V.sub.2 of the bridge into
an output voltage value V.sub.0.
Now, assume that the temperature around the bridge is changed while
maintaining constant the voltage V.sub.4 of the power terminal P
and the pressure applied to the diaphragm. The output of the bridge
V.sub.1 -V.sub.2 changes with temperature variation along the curve
9 depicted in FIG. 2.
In the curve 9, it is assumed that V.sub.0 =V.sub.1 -V.sub.2. The
sensitivity change rate .delta. of the bridge is expressed by
##EQU1## where V.sub.0 (T) is the bridge output at temperature T
and V.sub.0 (20) the bridge output at 20.degree. C. (reference
temperature).
From this, it is seen that the bridge sensitivity change with
temperature variation may be compensated for by controlling the
voltage V.sub.4 applied to the bridge power terminal P so as to
follow the dashed curve 10 in FIG. 2 which is inclined oppositely
to the curve 9 with temperature.
For this purpose, the current source I.sub.b is so constructed that
the output current thereof changes in proportion to
temperature.
The problem of this circuit, however, is that the amplification
factor of the amplification circuit including the operational
amplifier OP.sub.2 changes with variation of the resistance values
of the gauge resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4, which in turn change
with temperature variation, thereby preventing optimum
compensation.
This fact will be explained semi-quantitatively. The constants of
an amplifier circuit of the pressure transducer are generally
determined to fulfill the condition G<<R.sub.8 +R.sub.10. The
relation between the output V.sub.0 of the amplifier circuit and
the bridge output V.sub.1 -V.sub.2 is thus expressed by the
proximation ##EQU2##
The amplification factor K of the amplifier circuit is thus given
by ##EQU3## where G.sub.0 is the gauge resistance at the reference
temperature, .alpha..sub.G (T) the change of the gage resistance
with temperature variation, K.sub.0 the amplification factor of an
ideal balanced-input amplification circuit (K.sub.0 =R.sub.9
/R.sub.7), and .gamma. the ratio of the resistance 1/2G.sub.0 to
the input resistor R.sub.7 (.gamma.=1/2G.sub.0 /R.sub.7).
According as the gauge resistance value G.sub.0 increases as
compared with the input resistor R.sub.7, the effective
amplification factor K decreases while the change of the effective
amplification factor K with temperature variation follows almost an
opposite trend to the change of the gauge resistance G with
temperature variation.
As a result, even if the current source I.sub.b were provided with
a temperature characteristic so that the voltage V.sub.4 applied to
the power terminal P follows the curve 10 of FIG. 2, the second
term in the brackets { } of equation (3) should cause insufficient
compensation due to the decrease of K on high temperature side.
This insufficient compensation is derived from the temperature
characteristic of the gauge resistor G, and may be compensated for
by a resistor formed by the same process as the gauge resistor G.
The resistor G.sub.5 has such a function.
The condition that the resistor G.sub.5 is required to have will be
explained.
In consideration of the temperature characteristic of the
transducer sensitivity, the equation (2) may be rewritten as
follows. ##EQU4## where .alpha..sub.S (T) is the change of the
output voltage of the pressure transducer bridge with temperature
shown in the curve 9 of FIG. 2, and v.sub.0 the bridge output per
unit drive voltage of the bridge under a predetermine pressure.
The potential V.sub.3, on the other hand, is given as ##EQU5##
where G.sub.50 is the resistance value of G.sub.5 at the reference
temperature, I.sub.b0 the output current of the current source at
the reference temperature, .beta..sub.S (T) the
temperaure-dependent term of the current source I.sub.b with a sign
opposite to .alpha..sub.S in equation (4) as shown in the curve 11
of FIG. 2. This term is in fact set to 1/(1+.alpha..sub.S)-1. For
facilitating the understanding, however, it is assumed that
1/1+.alpha..sub.S .congruent.1-.alpha..sub.S.
Therefore, if the following equation (6) is satisfied,
a relation (7) is obtained by applying the equation (5) to the
equation (4) and ignoring the temperature-dependent terms of high
order
This relation (7) shows that the voltage V.sub.0 is independent of
temperature.
The foregoing description is summarized as follows:
(1) The temperature characteristic of the current source I.sub.b is
made equal to the characteristic shown by curve 11 in FIG. 2.
(2) The ratio between the resistor R.sub.11 and the gage G.sub.5 is
selected to satisfy
When the dimensions of the components are set as shown above, the
variation of the amplification factor of the amplification circuit
dependent on the temperature change of the gauge resistor can be
cancelled.
According to present embodiment, in the case the bridge circuit,
the amplification circuit and the temperature compensation circuit
are formed on the same chip, it is desired that the resistor
G.sub.5 and the gauge resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4 are made by the
same process so as to provide the same temperature characteristic
and that the gauge resistor G.sub.5 is disposed near to the gauge
resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4 so that the former is subject to the
same temperature condition as the latter.
The resistor G.sub.5, however, may be made as a discrete resistor
so long as it has substantially the same temperature characteristic
as the gauge resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4 and is subjected
substantially to the same temperature conditions as the latter.
FIG. 3 shows a material circuit arrangement of the current source
I.sub.b. A resistor 20 with an end thereof connected to a power
supply V.sub.CC has the other end thereof connected to the emitter
of the transistor Q.sub.6, the collector of which is connected to
the junction point a.
The base of the transistor Q.sub.6 is connected to the base of the
transistor Q.sub.4 on the one hand and to the emitter of transistor
Q.sub.5 on the other hand.
The emitter of the transistor Q.sub.4 is connected to an end of the
resistor R.sub.19 the other end of which is connected to the power
supply V.sub.CC. The collector of the transistor Q.sub.4 is
connected to the base of transistor Q.sub.5 and the collector of
transistor Q.sub.3. The collector of the transistor Q.sub.5 is
connected to the earth GND.
The emitter of the transistor Q.sub.3 is connected to the earth GND
through the resistor R.sub.18, and the base thereof to the emitter
of the transistor Q.sub.2 and the base of the transistor
Q.sub.1.
The collector of the transistor Q.sub.2 is connected to the power
supply V.sub.CC, and the base thereof to an end of the resistor
R.sub.16 the other end of which is connected to the power supply
V.sub.CC.
The emitter of the transistor Q.sub.1 is connected to the earth GND
through the resistor R.sub.17.
The characteristic of the circuit connected in this way is set by
adjusting the area ratio of the emitters of transistors Q.sub.4 and
Q.sub.6 and the resistance values of the resistors R.sub.19 and
R.sub.20 to fit the curve 11 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 shows the sensitivity change rates of the output V.sub.0 of
the amplification circuit in the presence and absence of the gauge
resistor G.sub.5 for comparison therebetween.
The curve 12 shows the change rate in the absence of the gauge
resistor G.sub.5, and the curve 13 the change rate in the presence
of gauge resistor G.sub.5.
In the case where the gauge resistor G.sub.5 is omitted, the
high-order temperature dependent term of .gamma..alpha..sub.G
(T)/1+.gamma. in equation (4) fails to be compensated, and
therefore, the change rate is greater than that in the presence of
the gauge resistor G.sub.5.
Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5.
If the resistors R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 shown in FIG. 1 are replaced
by impurity diffusion resistors G.sub.6 and G.sub.7 formed in the
same process as the gauge resistors G.sub.1 to G.sub.4, the
operational amplifier OP.sub.3, and the resistors R.sub.11 and
G.sub.5 are eliminated as shown in FIG. 5, so that a voltage can be
supplied to the bridge directly from the current source for
generating an output current proportional to temperature
change.
This is because the function of the gauge resistor G.sub.5 to
compensate for variation of the amplification factor is given by
the resistor R.sub.7 if the resistor R.sub.7 has the same
temperature characteristic as the gauge registors G.sub.1 to
G.sub.4, as seen from equation (8).
It will be understood from the foregoing description that according
to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor-type
pressure transducer comprising means for eliminating the effect
that the temperature characteristic of the gauge resistors making
up the bridge circuit might otherwise have on the amplification
factor of the amplification circuit for the bridge output, thereby
producing an accurate output of the pressure transducer.
* * * * *